Amazon fires Jeffrey Tambor from ‘Transparent’ after sexual misconduct claims
It was unclear how the series would proceed without Tambor, who won two Emmys, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance on the show
Tambor, 73, said in an emailed statement he was “profoundly disappointed in Amazon’s handling of these false accusations against me.”
Tambor played the lead role of Maura Pfefferman, a divorced father who transitions to a woman late in life. He will not be returning for the upcoming fifth season of the ground breaking series, Amazon said.
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The decision comes after an investigation started by Amazon in November into accusations against Tambor by two people on the show. The said Tambor had sexually harassed them and engaged in inappropriate behaviour.
In his statement, Tambor said there were no discussions with him directly about the claims and that he regretted if any of his actions were misinterpreted. He also called the investigation “deeply flawed and biased toward the toxic politicised atmosphere that afflicted our set.”
Tambor won two Emmys, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance on the show, which was the first Amazon television original series to garner such critical acclaim.
It was not clear on Thursday how the series, which was groundbreaking for its use of transgender actors and its portrayal of the transgender community, would proceed without him.
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Transparent creator Jill Soloway said on Thursday she admired the courage of the two people who had spoken out, calling it “an example of the leadership this moment in our culture requires.”
“We are grateful to the many trans people who have supported our vision for Transparent since its inception and remain heartbroken about the pain and mistrust their experience has generated in our community,” Soloway said in a statement.
“We are taking definitive action to ensure our workplace respects the safety and dignity of every individual, and are taking steps to heal as a family.”
